Craig McConnell was born in 1946 in Malibu California to a middle class family. His father was a veteran of World War II and served in the Pacific theatre and his mother was the typical 50's housewife. Craig loved to surf and spent all of his spare time enjoying this new craze that had hit the west coast. After college, he enlisted in the Army, following in his father's footsteps and was soon sent off to Southeast Asia and served two tours in Vietnam before he was eventually discharged. The horrors of war left their mark on Craig and he found himself restless and without focus. Upon returning home to Malibu he worked in his father's record store and developed a love of rock and roll. Craig eventually learned to play guitar and joined a local band. In 1972 the band was discovered by a Los Angeles talent agent and offered a recording contract. They recorded one album and due to a shady deal with a less than reputable manager were swindled out of all their earnings. Disheartened by the experience Craig lost his faith in "the man" and went on the road. he took what little money he had left, bought a Harley Davidson and took to the highways of America where he worked doing odd jobs for gas money, a hot meal and a bed for the night. Ten years later he found himself back home in Malibu where he took over his father's business, married and raised a family of his own. He retired in 1999, sold the store and moved with his wife to Australia where he surfs some of the best waves in the world.